


video tapes

by lunita_solita



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, just some good sakyoizu for the soul, marriage???, no beta we die like men, throwback thursday
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:42:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,651
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24297547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunita_solita/pseuds/lunita_solita
Summary: Matsukawa huffed indignantly. “What type of manager would I be if I relied on the actors every single time?” He paused and sat up, his eyes softened as he patted the musty old box filled with videotapes. “Besides, I wouldn’t trust them with these old things on any day.”“I didn’t realize how sentimental you were, Manager.”“Well Director, one can’t help but get attached to memories of the past, huh?”Izumi gingerly dug through the labeled VHS tapes, careful to avoid touching the delicate film. “The past, right.”
Relationships: Furuichi Sakyou/Tachibana Izumi
Comments: 24
Kudos: 167





	video tapes

Matsukawa wheezed as he finally put down the last remaining dusty box on the dorm floor. “Here are all the old Autumn troupe tapes that you asked for, Director! Hah~hnng…” The haggard manager took a haphazard step forward and tripped over his own feet, collapsing on the floor. “God, those boxes were heavy.”

A bell-like laugh bubbled out of Izumi as she brushed off the thick film of dust off of the box closest to her. “Matsukawa, if you needed help getting these boxes, I could have asked Juza and Banri to help you take them down here.”

Matsukawa huffed indignantly. “What type of manager would I be if I relied on the actors every single time?” He paused and sat up, his eyes softened as he patted the musty old box filled with videotapes. “Besides, I wouldn’t trust them with these old things on any day.”

“I didn’t realize how sentimental you were, Manager.”

“Well Director, one can’t help but get attached to memories of the past, huh?”

Izumi gingerly dug through the labeled VHS tapes, careful to avoid touching the delicate film. “The past, right.”

“Was there a certain play you were looking for?” Matsukawa dragged one of the boxes towards him. “I might be able to help you find it.”

The director’s eyebrows furrowed together as she pulled out each of the tapes and inspected them. “I-I don’t remember the name, I had only seen a small tidbit on a tape. But I remember some of the action scenes were similar to that of our current play, interacting with the set and a bit of combat with a quarterstaff…”

Matsukawa’s eyes brightened. “Oh, oh! That’s one of the older plays, however, if I remember correctly…” The manager opened the cardboard box labeled with the years 1997-2000 scrawled onto the side. He pushed several cases aside, fishing out a tape from the bottom of the box. He yanked it out and brandished it triumphantly, a grin etched across his face. “Here it is! The Electric Paladins! One of our older productions, from nearly twenty years ago. Some of the film may have become moldy or sticky, so you should be careful when playing the tape."

Izumi snagged the VHS tape from Matsukawa’s hand and flipped it in her hand, a simple scrawl in marker confirming that the play was indeed called the Electric Paladins. The director noticed a strange footnote, written hastily in the same set of handwriting used to label the recording.

_ Tachibana said this recording was his favorite. Maybe revisit at a later date? _

Izumi felt her heart rate rise in anticipation. “My father’s… favorite recording? How strange. I wonder what he liked so much about this play?”

Matsukawa pushed up his pair of glasses, an excited glint in his eyes. “I don’t know about Yukio, but this play is full of flashes and bangs, an action-based play that appealed to kids because of the colorful costumes. It has always felt like a Summer Troupe play to me, but for some reason, Yukio put on this play with the Autumn Troupe."

Izumi began to replace the tapes into their original box, once again sealing the capsules to the past. "Well, we best roll out the television and VHS player out to the practice room and figure out what was so appealing on this tape."

Matsukawa jokingly saluted Izumi. “Aye, aye, Director.”

Izumi chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Here, help me drag these boxes back to the storage room.”

\---

The confident troupe leader was slouched over, his head cocked to the side as he observed Izumi trying to get the ancient television to run, "So you're telling me the past Autumn Troupe has done some similar stunt work in the past?" 

The director nodded as she hooked up the VHS player in front of the six actors sitting in various positions on the floor of the chilly practice room. "The manager and I had watched bits and pieces of some of the tapes a year or two back, and when Yuzo was helping us set the choreography for this play, I remember how interesting their use of weaponry was during this play!"

The troupe’s puppy dog piped up, his large round eyes brimming with curiosity, "What is the play called Izumi?"

"It's called the Electric Paladins."

The troupe's eldest member had a visible reaction to the name, his face scrunching up in deep thought. "The Electric Paladins? The name rings a few bells, but I’m not so sure if I’ve seen it…"

Azami snorted as he crossed his long legs. "Probably one of those shows you watched as a kid. That tape looked  _ ancient _ ."

"Oi- bon." Sakyo’s soft growl urged a quiet giggle from Izumi and Omi as they exchanged knowing glances. No matter what buttons Azami pushed, Sakyo couldn't stay mad at him for too long, no matter how much he tried acting that it wasn’t so.

The young artist sighed, crossing his arms, "Yeah, yeah whatever old man."

“Ah-ha.” Izumi figured out the button sequence necessary to get the tape rolling, so she pushed the old VHS tape into the player and pressed play. She slid back across the hardwood floor to take her usual seat between Sakyo and Juza. Hyodo didn’t budge, accustomed to the director’s presence by now, but his older troupe member made sure there was plenty of room between him and Izumi, tucking his legs in closer.

Izumi always found Sakyo’s habit of retreating into his shell quite strange. The bespeckled man could be deep and imposing when dealing with the ruckus of the Mankai dorms, yet around her, he was reserved, much more pensive. 

Was it all out of chivalry? While she appreciated that Sakyo took her personal space into account, Izumi didn’t mind the occasional brush or touch. Did Sakyo think he made her uncomfortable?

The hum of the running tape grew louder as the actors hushed, watching the static of the television turn into a grainy stage. The television's speakers emitted the sounds of a crowd's murmur, probably a full house. A few unruly kids were throwing a tantrum in the crowd, something not commonly heard in the productions of a larger theater. The relaxing voice of a man rung cut through the crowd, presumably amplified by speakers, “Welcome all to the Mankai theater. We ask you all to take a seat and enjoy your time with the Electric Paladins.”

Banri snorted. “What a stupid name.”

“Ah shaddap, Banri. Not like your name is any better.”

“If you wanna talk dumbfuckery we should talk about your name then Hyodo.”

“Oi, both of you should shut your traps before I come over there and shut them for you.” Sakyo’s stern gaze was razor sharp, glancing past Izumi as the two rivals scowled back.

Banri gave Juza a final shove before the two boys finally settled down, and the play began.

When Matsukawa had described the play as a bunch of flashes and bangs, he did not exaggerate at  _ all _ . The actors wore obnoxiously bright colored costumes and the script was laughably childish compared to other plays Izumi had watched. The action was well choreographed and executed flawlessly, but the plot, the plot-

“Ah, I think this is a kids' show…” Omi chuckled to himself.

Sakyo’s eyes widened, “Ah, this was from when-” He paused, his face suddenly flushing bright red and he buried his face in his hands. “Oh god no.”

Izumi laughed. “Did you watch this play as a kid?”

Sakyo glanced over to Izumi, about to say something, but he hesitated before replying, “Yes, I did.” He cringed as the brazen lead spouted yet another cheesy line, to the cheers of the younger audience. “It’s a lot less cool than I remember to be completely honest with you, Director.”

Izumi smiled and playfully elbowed Sakyo in the side.

“Oi-” He chuckled as his eyes softened.

“Maybe your sense of humor isn’t as cool as it used to be.”

The man’s violet eyes darted down Izumi’s face as a smirk began to appear. “What would you know, Director?”

Before Izumi could have a chance to retort, Azami’s loose sleeve came down in between their faces, pushing her and Sakyo apart. Content with the new distance, he took a seat between Izumi and Sakyo, legs and arms crossed. 

“Respect her space, you boomer.”

“You’ve been talking to Kazunari, haven’t you bon?”

“What if I have?  _ Boomer _ .”

Izumi laughed and pulled Azami into a hug and placed a playful kiss on his forehead. “Don’t fight you two, we should be watching the play anyways.”

“You’re ruining my hair,” murmured Azami, but he didn’t make the active effort to pull out of Izumi’s hold. The director simply patted his head as she brought her focus back to the television as another action scene was kicking into gear.

She didn’t really notice Azami sticking his tongue out to Sakyo.

\---

The crowd’s applause and cheers crackled on the television's speakers. The seven viewers were in shock, still absorbing whatever that final scene was. Taichi was the first to jump up from excitement, pumping his fists in the air.

“WHOA! The way the lead turned out to be the villain all along and hit everyone with the BOOM and POW and WOOSH!” Taichi mimicked the actor’s moves, almost perfectly, his kicks little too close to Banri’s head.

Banri laughed, however, getting on his feet, “And when they finally fought back with a WHOOSH-” Banri tackled Taichi and they both collapsed on the practice room floor in a tangle of arms and legs. The troupe burst into laughter, ignoring the television as it cut to black. 

Juza had a wide smile on his face when he dragged Taichi off of Banri, “You need a little more practice to pull that fight off Taichi.”

Taichi threw a few jabs at the air in front of him. “I can take ‘em Juza! I’m ready!”

Sakyo growled as he began to push himself up from the floor, “You three are hyper, we might as well start practicing the choreography for the first few scenes.”

However, before the youthful trio could reply, the television clicked again, and the black screen turned bright green, the camera view shaky and out of focus.

As the camera's frame grew steady, the figures and shapes grew visible and it was easy to recognize that this was being filmed in the dorm courtyard. A few decorations have shifted and changed, but the dormitory doors in the background were as recognizable as ever.

The camera’s focus was on two young children, running around and playing tag. The shorter of the two, a young girl with long brown hair, paused her chase of a blond boy in front of her as she noticed the cameraman. The quality of the film was not stellar, but even they could see the girl flashed a bright grin. She cheerfully ran to the camera, and her features grew clearer. Long brown hair, a bright orange t-shirt, a pair of blue overalls, and bright pink eyes…

“Whoa, is that, is that the director?” Taichi gasped, saying what they were all thinking.

Izumi watched, more curious than anyone else. “I remember visiting the company when I was a little girl, but I don’t remember much of the visit. I’m surprised my father never showed me this film…”

_ Ah, this must be his favorite recording _ .

Yukio’s soothing voice came from behind the camera, greeting the little girl. 

_ “There you are, Miss Izumi! You need to stop chasing poor Sakyo, you’ll scare the poor boy off!” _

Sakyo immediately flushed bright red as Azami, Banri, Juza, and Taichi set off in a chorus of uncontrollable laughter. Izumi’s eyes widened as she glanced back in Sakyo’s direction.

“Do you remember that?”

“...Unfortunately.”

Banri doubled over, wheezing, “You let yourself get chased around by the  _ director _ ?”

“Didn’t realize you were  _ that _ desperate, even back then old man.”

Izumi stifled a smile as Omi tried to quiet down the cackling teens. “Shh, they were just kids. Besides, the tape is still going, let us listen.”

The little girl that stared right into the camera was missing a front tooth, but that didn’t dampen her radiant energy at all. With her goofy smile, little Izumi replied. 

_ “Don’t worry Papa! I’m going to marry Sakyo-san!” _

Banri choked on his own laughter as it was now Izumi’s turn to flush bright red. She sure didn’t remember ever saying that. She began to make her way to the VHS player, trying to stop it, but the teens leaped in front of her.

Taichi grinned. “Sorry, Miss Izumi, but the film is still rolling!”

Omi clapped his hands onto Sakyo’s shoulders. “What’s so bad about going down memory lane you two?”

Izumi buried her face in her hands, flushed and embarrassed. “So many things.”

Sakyo turned his head, locking eyes with Omi, “Fushimi… I hope you aren’t playing along with the others.”

Azami waved his arms, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Shh, someone’s talking!”

“-too young to be saying things like that? If that boy has been putting ideas in that head of yours…”

_ “Oh no Papa, he said no, but I’m sure we’ll be best friends for ever!” _

_ “Oh thank god the kid said no-” _

_ “Don’t worry Papa! When we get married, I’ll invite you… Mama… Sakyo’s Mama… even Syu! Even though he’s a lil grumpy!” _

_ “Izumi Tachibana I think it's time we talk about the dangers of me-” _

The film finally cut off, the camera presumably turned off. The watchers were all frozen in place, staring at the empty static of the television screen.

Banri grinned madly. “Oh, Itaru is so going to love this.” The young man bolted out the room, Taichi hot on his heels. 

Omi sighed. “Oh god, they’re going to tell everyone aren’t they.” He sprinted out of the practice room after the two teens, calling out. “Banri, Taichi, you two better stop right there!”

Juza and Azami glanced at each other, and then at Izumi and Sakyo, and then back at each other. The two silently retreated from the practice room, waving goodbye as they closed the door behind them.An awkward silence descended between the remaining two, neither willing to meet the other’s eyes. 

Izumi cleared her throat as she approached the television, wanting to busy her trembling hands by unplugging the television from the VHS player. “Haha. So. How about that video?”

“Director…”

The director turned and faced Sakyo. “I didn’t realize how much I forgot about my visit to Mankai all those years ago.”

Sakyo’s shoulders slumped and his eyes widened. “Director, are you crying?”

Izumi hiccuped, using her sleeve to wipe away the tears. “Am I? I didn’t realize.” She laughed. “I’ve forgotten what it felt like.”

Sakyo was immediately by her side, supporting her as he slowly lowered them to the floor. “I didn’t realize you were so repulsed by the idea of marrying me that you started crying.”

She laughed, hitting his arm. “Stop that. You know it’s not true, it’s just…” Izumi raised her gaze back up at the black screen, “... hearing me talk about marriage with my father is jarring. I haven’t seen him in eight years, and well… I’ve avoided thinking about one day walking down the aisle, without my father by my side. I’ve missed out on a lot of things with my father by my side, now that I think about it.” Izumi sniffled, wiping away at the snot starting to build up in her nose. “Gah, I hate crying over the stupidest things, you must think-”

“I think you’re a strong, beautiful woman, Izumi.”

“...”

Sakyo grabbed a hold of his director’s hands. “If you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you always know where to find me.”

She snorted. “How romantic.”

“And what’s wrong with that?”

Izumi paused, pondering his question. 

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Based on [this post](https://twitter.com/shenmaa_/status/1262721572181127168?s=20) by my moot shana! Luv u homie 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Check out my twitter [here](https://twitter.com/solita_lunita)!


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